The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide is a welcome announcement, and one that the defence community has been seeking for a very long time. But it will not resolve the issue of veteran suicide.
A royal commission takes on average three years to complete, and though it might outline a range of recommendations, most social reforms take five years or more to start showing a measurable change based on data and research.
With one veteran on average dying by suicide every two weeks, we need more funding directed to prevention programs right now.
